Robert Gustofson

We can't argue with Dr. G's results: the protocol he designed resulted in 4 viable embryos (3 after CCS) on the first IVF attempt, and caused me minimal discomfort while on retrieval and transfer medications. While his bedside/consultation manner could seem a bit fake-jolly, he always made time to answer as many questions as we had in each session, responded promptly to questions we submitted through the online portal, and provided thoughtful responses when we asked about the evidence behind various recommendations/requirements in our treatment. (For example, we wondered why the clinic still required getting Vitamin D levels up, when it isn't clear that it makes a difference for IVF outcomes. Dr. G. sighed and explained that Vitamin D had shown early promise as making a big difference, but now the pendulum was swinging back toward skepticism. In the meantime there was no evidence that boosting Vitamin D hurt IVF outcomes, so they continued to require >30 while the research dust settled.) He also looked more thoroughly into Zika travel recommendations to help make some important international work trips possible before our IVF/retrieval and FET procedures.

Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions, especially if you've done your homework via sites like FertilityIQ and have your checklist of things you want to know. Dr. G may sometimes seem like he's trying to move things along quickly, but he means it when he says "do you have any other questions for me?" and will answer thoughtfully - or he'll check and get back to you within a day or so if he doesn't know the answer right away.

Our profile: Male factor infertility (10+ year old vasectomy) Advanced age (male age 48, female age 40) Female history of large fibroid and asymptomatic endometriosis (removed by laparoscopic myomectomy & lasering 3 years before) This was our first time attempting to get pregnant. At Dr. G's recommendation, we decided to skip the low-probability steps of reversing a vasectomy, waiting for sperm counts to normalize, and trying naturally or with lighter assistance before advancing to IVF. (We also figured keeping the vasectomy in place was useful, as we only intend to have 1 child.) Retrieval/IVF protocol: Estrace (estrogen) Cetrotide (GnRH blocker) Menopur (FSH+LH) Gonal-F (Injectable FSH) Omnitrope (hGH) Trigger with Lupralide (GnRH agonist) Supported with doxycycline (antibiotic) and dexamethosone (corticosteroid) as well as daily prenatal vitamin + 5,000 IU Vitamin D Retrieval/IVF results: 15 eggs retrieved 13 fertilized via ICSI 8 survived to Day 3 4 survived to Day 5 3 tested as euploid (CCS) Transfer protocol: Lupron Depot (endometriosis & fibroid suppression, 2x monthly injection prior to Cycle Day 1) Birth control pill (cycle timing control) Estradiol patches Crinone (progesterone) Progesterone in Oil (progesterone) Supported by Medrol (steroid to prevent embryo rejection), doxycycline (antibiotic), and aspirin as well as daily prenatal vitamin + 5,000 IU Vitamin D FET results: Uterine lining and hormone levels (P4, E2, TSH, LH) all at desired levels at transfer Pregnancy and live birth TBD

$30,495 (before insurance reimbursement): covers one cycle of IVF including PESA, ICSI and FET. Does not include pharmacy (medications) and some labs

Dr. G strongly recommended eSET based on our profile (no history of miscarriage) and preference to have one child. During our first consultation he did write out the statistical rates of success and complication risk for single vs. multiple, and let us make the choice.

Dr Gustofson is knowledgeable, positive yet practical, kind and straightforward. He is patient with all questions and honest about the likelihood of success. As a single person, I needed to feel confident that I would be supported and respected in my choice to pursue being a parent. I have definitely received that from Dr Gustofson. Additionally, I have changed paths through my fertility journey and always feel like my decisions are supported in every way.

Ask questions and expect frank answers. False hope is not helpful when approaching your fertility prospects. If you are looking for practical and also kind support, I believe you will find that Dr Gustofson is an excellent choice.

My egg retrieval was as successful as it could be, considering my age. Although it did not result in a chromosomally normal embryo, and I chose to switch to donor eggs, I would have been supported for another retrieval. I started on a supplement regiment months in advance of the retrieval to optimize my chances for success.

Since I am mid treatment, I do not have complete costs.

The recommendation for a single embryo transfer to minimize risk to me and increase the chances for the embryo’s success is planned. I have not yet had a transfer.

We felt that Dr. G was really knowledgeable, including knowing a good amount about a condition we have that very few doctors have been aware of and was able to provide us with reasons for why decisions were made. It was important to us to understand "the why" behind different treatment choices and he never made us feel bad for asking those questions. He also considered the whole picture when helping us make treatment decisions, including our financial situation and the emotional impact of the decisions.

Don't be afraid to ask your questions

Our reason for seeking treatment was male factor. We needed to use donor sperm and started with a natural cycle IUI and got pregnant, but then miscarried at 8.5 weeks. We then moved on to a Clomid IUI, 2 letrozole IUIs, and a menopur IUI. Those resulted in two chemical pregnancies. Because donor sperm is so expensive we decided to move on to an IVF cycle. Throughout the IUIs and the first (canceled) egg retrieval cycle, we continued to have one follicle take over, so our protocol was changed for the second egg retrieval cycle and we ended up with 16 eggs retrieved. These resulted in 5 embryos, 2 of which were euploid, and one of which became our daughter.

The costs for 1 IVF cycle were around $25k for us. The costs for 1 IUI cycle were around $1k.

Our doctor was very clear, patient, kind, and to the point. I appreciated all of this as did my husband. He explained the testing we would undergo and helped us feel comfortable with the next steps. He repeated things when I asked him to re-explain and never interrupted either of us. He also was able to get a lot of information from us as a couple because he asked the right sort of vague questions necessary for diagnosing. We interviewed with a different clinic later and the difference was huge.

Good luck with your journey! You will be in capable hands.

I am still undergoing initial testing. For further testing we have been tasked with: Day 3 Labs (E2, FSH, LH) with AMH, Baseline ultrasound and 3D ultrasound, HSG, mid-cycle endometrial biopsy to test for CD138 and cultures, blood draws (CBC, TSH, Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody, blood type, Vitamin D, Chem20, Free T4, Antibodies, Rubella, Varicella), semen analysis, semen culture, Anti-sperm antibodies.

Consultation ~$300 testing for IUI ~ $350 (50% of total as insurance pays half) testing for IVF ~ $750 (50% of total as insurance pays half)

Each time we get to see Dr G it is a truly wonderful experience. He explains everything in a way that we can understand it. For example, instead of throwing the name of a medication at us and moving on, he will show us what it looks like and tell us exactly what it does when it is administered. He cares about us as people and is honest while remaining compassionate. He and his wife have struggled with infertility making him especially relatable and easy to talk to. The one downfall is that Dr G simply determines the course of treatment and monitors it to see if it needs adjustment, but we don’t see him for any minor procedures like IUIs. And unless your retrieval day falls on the days he works at the main office, another doctor will perform your procedure. They do make sure that your doctor is there for your embryo transfer though. He is an incredibly kind and knowledgeable doctor.

Be honest with him and ask as many questions as possible. He will describe everything he can, but it’s up to you to leave with the information you want and need. He will take the time to answer them.

Dr. G performed a full work up before determining a course of treatment for us. He individualizes every persons care. Due to my specific condition, I was put on 250 units of Clomid, rather than the more typical 100 units. For IVF, I was on Menopur, Ganirellix, Gonal F, Clomid, and one other that I can’t remember the name of. I was monitored via ultrasound and blood draw each day to determine if a dosage change was needed. It did change often for the best results possible.

All the costs are pretty transparent on their website but we spent about $600/IUI and the cost of our IVF was $14,667 and we paid $4,000 with insurance. This included all medication and procedures

Our doctor does single embryo transfers for most patients. He cares about the safety and well-being of women and their babies, which is why he prefers single transfers. He will take this as a case by case basis though.

I am grateful that Dr. G is 15 minutes from my house as he is a world-renowned RE. My husband and I feel that he looks out for our best interests and truly wants to help us get pregnant. He is honest, direct, and compassionate. He is easy to communicate with and at appointments we have never felt rushed.

Be honest with what you want out of your fertility journey so that Dr. G has a good starting point.

Dr. G encouraged us to go right into IVF, which was unsurprising, given my diminished ovarian reserve. My husband and I were more hesitant as we've been successfully pregnant naturally before and wanted to at least try medicated cycles before spending thousands on IVF. Dr. G supported us in this decision and we made changes with each medicated cycle. Our first two cycles were timed intercourse with letrozole. Our second two cycles were IUI with letrozole. We upped the dose up the letrozole to 10mg by the third round because I was the most responsive to that. He also put me on estrogen and progesterone to help with my lining issues. I am about to start priming for my first egg retrieval with him. I have a full month of priming on testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.

For 4 medicated cycles, it was approximately $750-1000 per cycle. One IVF cycle will be approximately $24,000.

N/A

He is truly the best, most kind, and caring physician I have ever met. We came to him at rock bottom of our fertility journey after over a half a dozen failed attempts and over a dozen egg retrievals to have our second child at Cornell. We had a very challenging diagnosis of diminished ovarian reserve (made worse by age of 39-40) and severe male factor infertility requiring microTESE. We came to him as a hail mary attempt before giving up after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on our fertility battle. I was very impressed by his kind, compassionate, and empathetic manner during our first telephone consultation. He actually listened to all of my concerns and was willing to consider my opinion as a veteran of IVF for over 3 years. I am still shocked that he NEVER once focused on the negative statistics piled against us and instead focused on the POSITIVE aspects and seemed to genuinely believe that we had a chance to get pregnant despite all our previous failures. That was truly a shocking moment for me and helped me regain trust in the ourselves and the IVF process, which I really feel was a key part in our success. Having a physician who believes in you is one on the most powerful experiences I ever experienced. He took us through 3 treatment cycles (and 1 cancelled cycle right around my 40th birthday which he attributed to a bad month) with the utmost professionalism, outstanding communication, and flawless retrievals. Our last cycle resulted in 3 eggs retrieved, 2 mature, 2/2 fertilized and 2 made it to 6 day high quality blasts which tested PGS normal! Truly a miracle in our case. He personally called me to congratulate me on the results. He transferred a 5 AA blast in the most perfect manner - flawless, caring, and compassionate - truly a wonderful experience that made me feel calm, relaxed, and trusting. Well 9 days later he again personally called me to give me the results of my positive beta test. After 3.5 years of failed IVF cycles, I felt such immense gratitude to Dr. Gustofson for believing in us and helping us achieve a successful outcome which I honestly believed we would never achieve. I am now 22 weeks pregnant and found out at my anatomy scan it was a baby girl who will be a sibling to our 4 year old son and complete our family. Truly a miracle and it was truly this amazing physician who got us here. I recommend that you RUN, not walk to him. My husband and I are eternally grateful to Dr. Gustofson for the miracle he has given us by his belief in us, dedication, and his amazing skills as a physician.

RUN, do not walk, to him if you want the highest caliber physician with the most amazing bedside manner.

Testosterone priming with mid luteal patch antagonist protocol; stimulation medications were Clomid 100 mg daily, Menopur in AM, and Gonal-F in PM. Also added Omnitrope, dexamethasone, Viagra 1 hour before stim meds. 3rd cycle produced 3 eggs, 2 mature, 2/2 fertilized, 2 made it to 6 day blast, 5AA and 5BA. Transferred 5AA blast and now 22 weeks pregnant with baby girl

About $25 for first cycle which covers almost everything including PGS testing, transfer, embryo storage for first year; $16 for subsequent cycles

Yes he encouraged elective single embryo transfer of 1 PGS normal embryo. I did not want to take additional risk of twins at my age and the transfer of one embryo was successful

Dr. Gustofson took time to explain our diagnostic results and lay out our treatment options. I never felt pressured to take one course over another. He was just factual on what the options and success rates were. We appreciate candid and blunt answers, but also liked his bedside manner. When we had a successful retrieval and transfer, he personally called and visited us during our follow up ultrasounds. We felt he genuinely was excited for us and cared for our situation and follow up.

Don't be afraid to ask for details on your diagnostic testing and protocols. He is happy to share to the extent you want.

They expected a high egg retrieval count, so carefully monitored to make sure I didn't hyperstimulate. Luckily, I did not and credit this to the well thought out protocol and careful monitoring. We ended up bumping the retrieval date up one day earlier. We chose not to do ICSI and still had a very successful fertilization rate. Since we did not do CCS testing, we also had the option to do a fresh transfer. Since I did not hyperstimulate, this was possible and we had a successful fresh transfer.

Based on my age and diagnostic results, Dr. Gustofson recommended a single embryo transfer. We agreed and that single embryo transfer resulted in a pregnancy.

Dr. Gustafson is the only doctor at CCRM you can email directly. He called me himself with good news and bad, and also talked us into continuing a dismal looking cycle...that one turned out to be my best and resulted in my pregnancy.

Come with questions and he will explain everything. Trust him, he’s an expert.

Dr. Gustafson recommended a microdose lupron flare protocol since I have DOR. It worked much better for me than traditional antagonist cycles I’ve done in the past.

We were fortunate to have some insurance. One day work up was about $5k. Our out of pocket cycle cost us $25k including transfer. Each additional retrieval is about $14k, plus meds which cost me $4-7k per retrieval.

We have a frozen embryo that we will likely transfer later by itself. Since we have trouble making blastocysts, Dr. G recommend a day 3 freeze all for our final cycle and put several embryos back. It worked!

Dr. G is incredible when it comes to communication. As a “Type A” personality, I’m very interested in understanding what’s happening every step of the way. He is very clear, presents all options, takes the necessary time to answer (my list of) questions, calls me back and writes me back within 24 hours on the portal. We had a VERY different experience with the first fertility we saw in WI, and we feel very blessed to have found Dr G!!

Trust

Worth every penny

I was at a point mentally where I was desperate to get pregnant after 2.5 years of trying, even if that meant I was going to be the next octo-mom. I simply had too many defeats. After talking with Dr G, he presented the facts and made sure I understood what it might mean to have multiples and everything I should take into account. After that meeting, and after hearing more information and detail, I changed my mind and went with Dr G’s recommendation. As a result, we are currently pregnant with one healthy baby!

Dr. Gustofson really cares about his patients, and takes the time to explain everything. When I approach him about alternative protocols, he takes the time to explain the positives and negatives of that particular approach. I've had 2 unsuccessful transfers and a chemical pregnancy with him, and he was empathetic and sincere when he called me.

Dr. Gustofson and CCRM are among the best of the best, but don't expect IVF to work the first time. You still have to be patient.

Retrievals-gonal F, double menopur doses, testosterone gel and patches, viagra, estrace, prometrium, saizen, acai supplements, clomid, dexamethasone (antagonist protocol) Transfers-2 months depot lupron, estradiol patches, estrace, endometrin, PIO, prednisone, pepcid, claritin, lovenox, electro-acupuncture

Retrievals are ~$25,000 with genetic testing (not including meds) Transfers are ~$4500 (not including meds)

Dr. Gustofson is a big proponent of eSET. He wants you to have a healthy pregnancy and baby, and not have complications. However, he is willing to transfer two if you are aware of the risks.

Dr. Gustofson is personal, warm, and detail-oriented. He patiently walks you through every step of the procedure or protocol, always pausing to ask questions and ensure you are understanding. He is clearly very skilled at his work and thinks creatively about solutions.

Never hesitate to ask as many questions as you have. He is the one doctor at CCRM who allows you to email him directly (as opposed to emailing through his team/nurses), which tells you a lot. He is interested in the doctor-patient relationship.

We used quite an aggressive treatment protocol with testosterone patches, estogen patches, menopur, lupron, prometrium, progesterone, as well as fistfuls of supplements. This treatment was aggressive to help me grow more, higher-quality eggs, as my previous cycles were hampered by low-quality eggs.

The entire IVF round was between $25-$30k.

Dr. G is great to work with and I’m so glad he’s our doctor. He is very knowledgeable and I trust his expertise. He is very responsive to communication. I’m glad to see him at the Louisville clinic, which in my experience is more welcoming and less intimidating than the huge Lone Tree clinic.

My stim protocol was 150 menopur + 300 follistim as well as daily Omnitrope (human growth hormone) for the first 5 days. I was also on a daily steroid and started Ganirelix on day 5 or 6 I think. Trigger shot was Pregnyl. I also was on 30 days of priming for the month prior to the injectibles. The priming included testosterone gel and patches, estrogen pills, and progesterone suppositories.

So far we have paid roughly 15k for surgery, procedure, IVF cycle #1 and meds. Our treatment is partially covered by insurance at this point but our insurance is limited to 25k lifetime max so if this process takes more than 2 cycles for us our expenses will contribute substantially.

Dr. G advised us on the risks of multiple embryo transfer and shared his opinion that a single embryo transfer was best. Our insurance only covers single embryo transfer so that makes it easy.

Dr. G is very personable and has a good sense of humor (which we appreciate, but I could see being a deterrent for some folks). We just wished he had been a little bit more communicative in person. When most of your communication is done through a nurse (although I understand that this is the norm) it can make you feel a bit disconnected from the doctor. We have felt like we are in competent hands.

He has a good reputation and seems very competent, but just be aware you might not have much face (or voice) time with him!

After all of the tests we were diagnosed with low sperm count/motility. I had to take injections of Menopur, Cetrotide and Gonal F (which all made me feel super bloated and crampy, although not as bad as I was expecting). I ended up having to take more doses than originally prescribed, which I didn't really understand the reasoning for. This part was a bit rough financially. The retrieval was done by another doctor (which just happens because they have to time it based on your hormone levels and who happens to be working what day). We had 21 eggs retrieved, 11 turned into embryos, and 3 mature enough to freeze. For some reason we didn't realize it could yield so little from so many eggs! We were also hoping for a fresh transfer, but apparently it was too dangerous given my hormone levels, so we will do the frozen transfer 2 months after the retrieval - which was also a much larger time window than we had expected/been told originally.

$2,800 for the package including first consultation, regroup, blood tests, testing $20,000 for IVF cycle Additional $3,000 for lab results that were sent out $6,000 for IVF medications

Dr. G really seems only open to single embryo transfer vs. multiple. After my own research that did seem like the safer way to go, but if we weren't trying to move the process along as quickly as we could I might have seeked out a second opinion.

He went through all of the details of my treatment in ways that I could understand and did not seem like he was in a hurry when he was with me. I only met with him twice so far and he was very understanding and did not question me wanting to do the treatment while my husband is deployed.

I would recommend that you you are prepared for all of the appointments. Dr. Gustofson seems great.

For drugs, I just used clomid and the trigger shot. I was monitored by ultrasound for the size of my follicles. I responded well to the drugs so I did not have to change up my meds. I am on my 3rd IUI so hopefully it works.

Everything was out of pocket for us. We did about $2500 on testing and initial consult. The IUIs were about $1400 each.

He is thorough, knowledgeable, caring and a good communicator. He has given us hope that IVF will work for us but also made sure we are aware of the risks. He had taken the time to explain every step as we go and given us the opportunity to ask questions.

IVF with ICSI approximately $18,000 and Pre-IVF workup approximately $2800

He encouraged us to transfer a single embryo because our chances of having multiples would be high and he made us aware of the risks associated with multiples.

He is so kind and genuine. He is very responsive. He also has a great sense of humor which is much appreciated in the stressful environment of fertility treatments. He explains everything in detail, without being condescending if you ask any questions. He really is just a great doctor and one that I'm glad I found.

Due to having PCOS, Dr. G thought I might over-stimulate and was therefore cautious on my first retrieval cycle. Unfortunately this resulted in only having one embryo available for transfer. For any future cycles, he has already adjusted the protocol to be more aggressive.

For one cycle of IVF, including FET, ICSI, and CCS testing, we paid about $25k. (Not including meds)

He strongly advised transferring one embryo and advised us of risks of twins.

Dr. G is in a tough spot - it requires him to be frank, but also compassionate. He does not ooze warmth and there are some patients (me included, at least initially) that require that when seeking fertility treatments. But he is honest and forthcoming and always has his patients best interests in mind. I felt like I was in capable hands when we proceeded with treatments.

Dr. G has your best interests in mind and will be truthful when it comes to your care, but he won't sugarcoat anything and won't be the person you lean on emotionally.

It has been 3 years since my last treatment with Dr. G, so I cannot remember specific medications or protocols. But Dr. G had a solid game plan, monitored me closely and always explained in detail if anything needed to change.

Donor IVF cycle (including donor meds and fees and my transfer) totaled approximately $44,000. Additional medications for me were about $4,000. Total for the entire procedure was $48,000.

Because I was otherwise very healthy and since our young donor produced an exceedingly high number of highly graded embryos, Dr. G was very clear about the fact that he would not transfer more than one. He explained that he was very confidant the treatment would be successful and explained the immense risks to me and the babies if I were to carry multiples.

Dr. Gustafson was honest, kind, thoughtful. While we never made it past 7 weeks, you could tell he was rooting for us and truly disappointed and sorry that things didn't work out for us. From the get go, we had already done a cycle of IVF without success (chemical and miscarriage of trisomy 13 at 6.5 weeks), he told us there were no medical reasons to not try again. We ended up with 9 CCS normal embryos. However, after 2 failed transfers (chemical and blighted ovum) he told us one of things wad happening. Despite my hysteroscopy and all labs/scans looking normal, my uterus wasn't a good environment or there was something behind chromosomes that is genetically wrong with the embryos. Our final transfer resulted in a pregnancy but miscarriage at 7 weeks. He was so kind during our D&C and told us he was always there for us. We still have 5 embryos and may some day decide to transfer them or pursue a gestational carrier, but are also at peace that Dr. Gustafson did everything in his power, knowledge, expertise to help us be parents.

Trust him. He will be honest with you. And like he told us on our first consultation he'll "tell you when to get off of the roller coaster". And he doesn't say that to be mean. He says it for your own sanity. He doesn't want to just take your money over and over if he doesn't think it will work.

I honestly don't remember what protocol we used for egg retrieval. First FET e-set of day 5AA CCS normal blast. Lupron started when bcp stopped. Vivelle patches increasing. Endometrium, PIO and me from. 2nd FET added antihistamine protocol with aspirin, claritin, pepcid, and prednisone. 3rd FET antihistimine protocol and lovenox.

$22000 for egg retrieval, 1st transfer. $5000 for each subsequent FET Meds totaled probably $1000

First 2 transfers did e-SET then did embryos on 3rd transfer.

Overall I found Dr. Gustofson very caring and I felt he really knew what he was doing. My only issue related to Dr. Gustofson was that he left town during a crucial part of my treatment (which I completely understand and don’t hold against him) but neither he nor his staff mentioned he would be leaving so it was offputting for me to find this out when I needed to ask him a question regarding treatment and he was gone.

He seems like a genuinely caring doctor.

Priming meds: Estrace 2mg - cycle day 2 on Testosterone gel - day 3-20 Prometrium 200mg - 2x day/ day 16-25 Testosterone patch 2mg - day 21-25 Cetrotide 0.25mg - day 23-25 Stim meds: Viagra 50mg 2x a day Menopur 150units 2x a day Gonal-F 300 units once a day Dexamethasone 0.5mg once a day Saizen 0.4ml once a day Clomid 100mg once a day (added when follicles were not growing enough and injections were switched to intramuscular instead of sub q)

We paid approx $25,000 for the IVF up front (this did not include the IVF meds or the full day work up we first had to do which I can’t remember the exact cost of but it wasn’t inexpensive). Because the cycle was cancelled we were refunded around $21,000.

For my age group he recommended one embryo be transferred at a time to reduce chances of multiples because of higher risk. I completely agreed with this approach.

Dr. Gustofson was direct and thorough in his explanations, but came off as quite callous. I believe his assessment erred on the reasonably conservative side of what options were possible for me, and his recommended treatment was equally thorough and aggressive. I found his manner to be very dismissive and unkind, as did my partner. Because of this, and a move to a new state, we decided to work with another doctor.

Dr. Gustofson seems competent and thorough. I would expect aggressive fertility treatments, and I would not expect a gentle bedside manner.

We only received a consultation from Dr. Gustofson. He recommended IVF with PGS and genetic screening for Fragile X because I have diminished ovarian reserve.

Dr. Gustofson explained the benefits and risks of single and multiple embryo transfer. I did not get the impression he would push us in either direction had we chosen to move forward with him.

We trust Dr. G as we would an old friend. He clearly stated expectations and our course of action with compassion and clarity. He listened to our concerns and questions and delicately give an explanation. His positive attitude paired with his expertise were exactly what my family needed each visit. I couldn't recommend a better doctor. We have the utmost respect for Dr. G and had the most positive experience we could have with medical care under the supervision of Dr. G.

You are fortunate to be in his care.

My insurance did not cover any of the cost of my initial IVF treatment, or my second transfer. Therefore, the cost was high, I'd prefer not to state specifics, but the cost CCRM gave at the beginning of the cycle is exactly what I paid. There were no hidden costs associated with my cycle. They were upfront with the cost.

Based on my age and health, Dr. G was incredibly clear that we should only transfer 1 embryo. I will forever be grateful for his guidance specifically on that subject. Due to his diligence, my son was born healthy and with no complications, and I am currently pregnant and hoping for the same outcome.

I actually referred a colleague to him and he was also great with her. He is honest, kind, and very aware of our specific struggles both emotionally and physically. He communicated exactly what I told him that I needed, and he was available if I ever needed him or his team. Very reliable.

He is very positive, and honest - be prepared for that. He wants you to succeed as much as you do.

Given I had multiple miscarriages and he had files form 2 prior doctors, he wasnt afraid to go full court press and have me take acai supplements, growth hormone, testosterone, along with the other usual injections. The lab at CCRM is amazing and very thorough.

Insurance didnt pay for anything so all was out of pocket and costs similar to other fertility clinics

He only allowed for us to transfer one to avoid twinning since that would cause a high risk pregnancy.

Dr. Gustofson brought the perfect balance of science and humanity. His bedside manner was just what a 7 year infertility patient whose lost hope in her body needs. He has a genuine love of life, people and a passion for what he does. His approach (as well as CCRM's) is super structured, extremely diligent which allows him to move through patient challenges and resolve them in an appropriate timeline. Within 1 day, we had all the answers we needed to correct our 7 year battle. Dr. Gustofson built a strategic plan that day and for 13 months we followed it diligently. We are currently 11 weeks pregnant. Our success is directly related to his knowledge, diligence and surgical skillset.

Trust him, no matter how much your hope has diminished. There is a reason he requires all the tests he does—they provide him immense knowledge and give him all the tools he needs to make the most educated plan for you. No matter what has happened in your past, trust that he will lead you down the right one.

When we met with Dr. Gustofson in May of 2017, he diagnosed us with a uterine infection (endometritis), a polyp and a septum (one that was supposidly removed 3 previous times). He created a plan that included—a 2 month treatment to remove inflammation and the infection, then a hysterscopy with septum resection, a follow-up in office hysterscopy to confirm the septum, infection and scar tissue were no longer, a mock cycle to test my responsiveness, a uterine biopsy (Beta 3 Integrins Test), another follow-up in office hysterscopy, a retrieval (midluteal oral estrogen priming antagonist protocol), another follow-up in office hysterscopy with endo scratch and FET (Blast, BCPs/Lupron/Suppository/P4 in Oil QOD. All procedures were smooth. The most important step we believe was the constant checking of my uterus to confirm what had been done to it, was in fact done and showing the intended results. As a patient who has a thin lining due to multiple D&Cs, this step was essential. I was told previously that I had Asherman's—Dr. Gustofson never mentioned he. He in fact, never was intimidated by my uterus. Baby step, by baby step, he treated it and scrubbed my uterus till it was in the most perfect state. We tested meds till we found the right ones. In fact, we almost did not transfer because there was fluid in my uterus (which had happened in the past) HOWEVER we did because he believed in it. He said the fluid was mucosa and would go away, if not, they'd suction. Well, transfer day is was gone. He was right, AGAIN and we are currently 11 weeks pregnant.

We spent around 24k for retrieval & transfer with with CCS. This included all labs and scans for both. Not included was meds which were around 6k. We spent another 10k on surgeries and in-office hysterscopies. Our full day of tests cost around 4-5k. Travel was additional.

We transferred 1 very high quality embryo and it worked. Due to thin lining, we felt 1 was best.

I can't recommend Dr. G highly enough. I felt like he was 100% committed to getting and keeping me pregnant from the day we first met with him. He has a wonderful sense of humor and great bedside manner, both of which I knew I needed for this journey. That said, he always explains everything with solid data behind it, and really clearly described every step along the way so that we had a full understand of the treatment, risks, success rates etc. I also appreciated that he was honest with the success rates and only addressed live birth rates, since getting pregnant and having a miscarriage accomplishes nothing but heartbreak. We went through a very difficult period after the egg retrieval where my lining simply wouldn't get thick enough to transfer an embryo, despite every trick in the book. Dr. G never lost faith, and did an unusual protocol for me that they hardly ever do, but he was confident it would work in my situation. It did, and I'm now pregnant! I can't recommend him highly enough if you are just starting out, or have almost given up at other clinics. It is so important to have complete trust in the RE steering the ship for you.

Ask as many questions as you need to feel like you understand your treatment, success rates etc. He is incredibly patient and understanding. He and his wife went through fertility treatment, so I think he understands the anxieties more than most doctors. Another tip? If you're at a crossroads in your treatment, ask him what he would do in your situation if it was him/his wife. He'll give you the real honest answer which can sometimes be different than the doctor answer, and can be a valuable data point to help make your decision.

3 IUI's with increasing amounts of femera - all negative IVF with gonal-f, menapur, cetratide No trigger due to possible OHSS - I really appreciated this last minute change Fertilized with ICSI due to MFI Freeze all cycle so we could do CCS testing - 14 day 5 embryos After testing, 13 were normal (he advised against the testing due to my age of 31, we did it for piece of mind) 1st transfer attempt with estrogen priming - cancelled due to thin lining 2nd transfer attempt with increased estrogen, estrogen shots and viagra - proceed with 6.4mm very boarderline lining. Very tough call for both of us. Transferred 1 embryo and test was negative. 3rd transfer attempt - He said he was bringing out the "big guns" with completely different protocol called a Stim FET. I was on gonal-f and cetratide to stimulate my lining with my own estrogen, since my lining got to 8 during my egg retrieval cycle. He also had me do viagra again, and do the Antihistamine protocol of pregnisone, claritin and pepcid in case my immune system was rejecting the embryo. This doozy of meds got me to a 7.2mm lining, and we transferred two embryos. His recommendation was still to do one, but he was willing to do 2 at our request since the lining protocol was so tough for me, and we were ok with the prospect of twins. That cycle worked and I'm now 12 weeks with B/G twins!

All in start to finish, we spent about $65k.

He very strongly pushes for eSET for the first transfer if your prognosis is good. The general rule at CCRM is two single transfers with CCS embryos, then doing a double transfer if both fail. In our case we were so wrecked after the first failure, and the drugs I had to take for each transfer attempt were essentially all the IVF stim meds (with the associated cost as well) that he didn't have a problem with our request to transfer 2 embryos on our second try. For reference, all our transfers were with CCS tested embryos. He was honest about the risks of multiples and the goal for one healthy baby. He's not interested in you "trying" for twins, and he's absolutely right. But, if you get to the point where its just not happening, he's absolutely willing to adjust course and put in more than 1.